DESCRIPTION (from the application): This is an application to request partial funding for the First Biennial Arthritis Research Conference to be held under the joint sponsorship of The Arthritis Foundation, The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and The American College of Rheumatology from May 29 - June 1, 1997 on the NIH campus. Participation will be limited to 400 attendees. Included in this group will be as many arthritis research trainees as can be identified. If additional space is available, junior faculty members involved in arthritis research and more senior investigators will also be selected to attend based on their expertise and interests as most likely to benefit from and contribute to the stimulating and productive environment of the Conference. A group of leading investigators has been invited to present plenary lectures, chair workshops and interact with the trainees during the Conference. Plenary sessions will be devoted to the major themes underlying contemporary arthritis research, including Genetics, Gene Regulation, Molecular Immunology, and Signaling. Plenary sessions will also be focused on major disease processes, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, and Autoimmunity, during which the underlying themes will be developed. In addition to the seven plenary sessions, there will be six workshops devoted to Genetics, Molecular Immunology, Autoimmunity, Inflammation/Interventions/Epidemiology/Outcomes, and Connective Tissue/Cartilage/Bone Biology. These will have two chairpersons who will facilitate focused discussions centering around presentations selected from submitted abstracts. Finally, there will be two poster sessions, at which the remaining trainees will present their work. It is anticipated that all trainees will present their research results at either a workshop or a poster session. The goal is to have an interactive meeting in an informal atmosphere to facilitate comprehensive discussion of many aspects of the scientific basis of arthritis and related conditions. The meeting is designed to facilitate meaningful interactions between trainees and senior scientists from diverse backgrounds to discuss current research, as well as stimulate new initiatives and foster collaborative interactions. Although this is the first such conference to be held, it has been modeled after successful conferences, including the Gordon and FASEB Conferences, and should provide a focus for arthritis research, in which all trainees in the field will have the opportunity to discuss their work with leading scientists.